Surfacing machine



1937. J. c. TEMPLE SURFACING MACHINE Filed Dec. 15, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Ja /v Cf- EMPLE Nov. 9, 1937-. J. c. TEMPLE SURFACING MACHINE Filed Dec. 15, 1935 3 Shee'ts-Sheet 2 c/OH/V C TEMPL 5.

IN VENTOR.

' Nov. 9, 1937. J. c. TEMPLE SURFACING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 F 7 Filed Dec, 13, 1935 ZZZ-c513.

V IN VENTOR. e/OH/V Q TEMPLE wzzzm ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to surfacing machines and like the machines shown in my co-pendlng applications Serial No. 46,995, filed October 28, 1935, and Serial No. 52,148, filed November 29, 1935, has reference to apparatus for brushing, scaling, and/or painting metallic surfaces.

Although the invention is applicable for many uses, it is one of the main objects of the invention to provide an apparatus for the brushing, 1O scaling and/ or painting of ship hulls. At present this work is performed manually, requiring the erection of scaffolding to reach substantially all surfaces of the hull and necessitates a large corps of workmen in order that the reconditioning of the metallic hull of a ship may be expedited to save dry dock charges and to avoid further loss to the owner of the ship by reason of its being idle. By

the use of this apparatus and a novel system of magnets, and the machine propelled over the work surface by a novel remotely controlled system of block and tackle.

Another feature of the invention resides in a surfacing machine held in tractive contact with the metallic surface to be worked upon, and which is guided and controlled in its movement by a novel arrangement of block and. tackle suspended from an elevated position above the work surface.

Another feature of the invention resides in a surfacing or painting machine held in operating contact, with the surface to be worked upon, by means of fixed electro-magnets, which come in approximate contact with said surfaces, and while holding the machine to said surfaces do not limit its free lateral movement in any direction desired.

A further feature of the invention is to provide a machine of the above character which is designed and so suspended as to dispose the center of gravity thereof a remote distance from the vertical or inclined surface being worked upon and for utilizing the unbalanced'weight of the machine to hold the work surfacing head thereof against the work surface.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a surfacing machine for operation over ferrous surfaces which utilizes electromagnetic force to hold the same in working position :5 against surfaces which must be reached but wherein the beforementioned gravitational force cannot be used to maintain the working head of the machine in contact with the ferrous surface. With these and other objects in view which (,1) will appear hereinafter, the invention also consists in the detail construction, combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are fully described in the following specification, are pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a. vertical sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure '6 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the midship portion of one side of a ships hull showing the invention in use therewith.

Figure '7 is a view similar to Figure 6 but taken through the bow of a ships hull.

Figure 8 is a detail front elevational view of' the block and tackle shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Figure 9 is a side elevational view of the block and tackle.

Figure 10 is a side elevational view of a modifled form of machine.

Figure 11 is a front elevational view of the machine shown in Figure 10 but with parts in section.

Figure 12 is a diagrammatic sectional view through the stern of a ships hull showing the form of machine illustrated in Figures 10 and 11 in use thereon.

Figure 13 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the electric control for the machine shown in Figures 10 and 11.

Figure 14 is aside elevational view of the side rail and trolley.

Figure 15 is a fragmentary side elevation of a ships hull showing a modified form of the invention.

Figure 16 is an enlarged detail vertical transverse sectional view on the line Iii-l6 of Figure 15.

Figure 17 is a side elevational view of the modified form of surfacing machine for use in traveling horizontally over a surface being worked upon.

Figure 18 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line l8-i9 of Figure 16.

Figure 19 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a further modified form of block and tackle control mechanism for use in connection with the type of machine shown in Figures 1 to 12 inclusive.

Figure 20 is a detail sectional elevational view of a modified form of electro-magnet, with traction belt.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, the numeral I0 designates my improved in the form of an I beam and canied by one 7 end of the arm is a work head A and which end of the arm will be termed the head end whereas the opposite end is designated at B and will be referred to as the tail end. The working head A includes a carriage comprising a box-like casing l2, the open side of which faces outwardly from the adjacent end of the arm The casing 2 is fixed to the arm H by angle brackets l3, the point of attachment of the arm being substantially central of the casing. Joumaled in the casing adjacent opposite ends thereof are alined shafts |4|4 while also journaled in the sides of the casing and disposed intermediate the shafts casing i2 to contact the surface being worked.

upon and as clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

Fixedly carried by the intermediate shaft I5 is a scaling and scraping device 20 which includes a frame 2| having radially extending flexible links 22 extending therefrom and which links are adapted to swing outwardly by centrifugal force to beat against and scrape the surface being worked upon. The brushing devices l6 rotate simultaneously in thesame direction, while the scaling and scraping device 20 rotates in a direction reverse thereto. The driving means for these rotatable work devices will now be described. I Carried by the arm I adjacent the head end thereof and rising upwardly from the said arm is a bearing 23 and journaled in this bearing and in a bearing 24 extending outwardly from the casing i2 is a shaft 25. Fixed to the shaft 25 on a plane directly above the arm II is a bevel gear 26 and carried by the opposite end of the shaft 25 is a sprocket wheel 21. A platform 28 is provided at the tail end B of the arm li and supports a reversible electric motor 2!, the armature shaft 30 of which extends parallel to the arm II in the direction of the head end A and is journaled in a bracket or bearing 3| rising from the arm II. The extreme end of the shaft ill carries a driving pinion gear 32 which is in constant mesh with the beveled gear 26. It will thus be seen that power from the motor will be transmitted to the shaft 25 by means of the motor shaft 30, pinion 32 and bevel gear 28.

Power from the shaft 25 is transmitted the shafts |4|4 and shaft I! by providing small sprocket wheels 33 on the shafts l4--|4, and a sprocket 34 on the shaft l5. Passing over the sprockets 33, 21, and on the inside of the sprocket 34 is an endless sprocket chain 35. Thus rotation of the shaft 25 will impart rotation to the shafts l4-|4, and shaft ll, by-means of the sprocket chain 35 and sprockets 21, I3, and 34.

Freely tumable on the ends of the driven rotatable shafts l4-|4 are traction wheels 36, the peripheries of which extend beyond the plane of the open side of the casing l2 and which -during operation of the machine have tractive engagement with the surface being worked upon.

In the event that the machine should be used for applying paint to the surface being worked upon, I provide spray pipes 31 which extend transversely'of the casing and are disposed intermediate and out of the path of the scraping and brushing devices. One of the ends of the spray pipes pass through one side of the casing as shown in Figure 2 and the ends of the spray pipes are provided with coupling nipples 38 to which a hose for supplying paint may be connected. Thus it will be seen that paint sprayed from the spray pipe 31 under pressure will cause a layer of paint to'be applied to the work surface. The type of machine shown in Figures 1 to 7 inclusive is intended for use upon vertical, inclined, or curved surfaces as shown in Figures 6 and '7, wherein C designates a portion of the ship's hull, D the top deck, and E the bulwark or deck coaming rising upwardly from the top deck. Suspended from the bulwark E by means of hangers 40, is a length oftrack 4|, the same being horizontally disposed as clearly shown in Figure 15. Slidable lengthwise of the track 4| is a trolley 42, the same carrying a pulley block 43. One end of a cable 44 is connected to the top of the bearing 23 by a pivoted link 45, the cable 44 extending upwardly and having one turn around the pulley block 43, after which the cable passes downwardly and has three or more turns wound upon a drum 46 fixed to a shaft 92, which shaft is journaled in bearing 23, after which the taut fall end 41 of the cable hangs downwardly along the sides of the ships hull. Also fixed to the shaft 92 is a sprocket wheel 93 over which a sprocket chain 94 passes, the said chain also pass ing over a sprocket fixed to the shaft 25. It will thus be seen that the drum 46 rotates with the work surfacing devices and may turn in opposite directions depending upon the direction of rotation of the reversible motor 29.

Assuming that the machine is in use for working upon the straight sides of the ship's hull as shown in Figure 6, it will be understoodthat an operator makes the fall end 41 of the cable taut. By reason of the fact that the center of gravity of the machine is remote from the working surface, I utilize the unbalanced weight to hold the head end A of the machine in contact with the work surface. Due to the fact that the'drum 46 is driven and the traction wheels are free, the machine will travel up andxdown over the surface being worked. An electric conductor cable extends from the motor 29 to a point within reach of an operator who may control the operation of the motor and the fall end of the cable 41 from a single station. After a vertical area has been scraped, cleaned or painted by the movement of the machine the full length of the suface being worked, the trolley 42 is moved over the track 4| so that the machine may work the next adjacent area. As shown in Figure 14, two or more is shown, but is illustrated as operating on the under curved surface of the bow of a ship. The

same operation occurs as that hereinbefore ex plained, with the exception that the fall end 41 of r the cable is drawn taut around a pulley block 49 carried by a trolley 50 movable over a track 5| and which track is anchored to'the keel of the ships hull by brackets 52. Due to the overbalancing of the tail end B of the machine, the head end will be swung upwardly into tractive contact with the under curved surface.

In working upon horizontal or substantially horizonta surfaces such as for instance the ship's stern shown in Figure 12, the balancing of the machine is not solely relied upon for holding the head end in contact with the surface being worked upon. Therefore in Figures 10, 11, and 12, a modie fled form is shown wherein sets of diagonally arranged electro-magnets 53-53 and 54-54 are provided at the four corners of the rectangular casing i2. These electro-magnets do not actually contact the metallic surface being worked upon, but the poles thereof are arranged in close proximity. to the metallic surface and the electromagnetic force produced by the magnets is sufficient to hold the machine to the surface to be worked upon and with the aid of the block and tackle to maneuver the machine in the working position desired. The sets of electro-magnets 53-53, and 56-54 are arranged in respective electric circuits as shown'in Figure 13 of the drawings, and only one set is operable at a time, and they are controlled by automatic switch means which keeps one or the other sets in service, depending upon direction set of motor operation. In practice the switch means will be within reach of an operator and'will be described hereinafter. It will thus be seen by the use of the two forms of the invention hereinbefore described. that I am able to work upon the surfaces of a ships hull or structure of like nature, irrespective of the angular sides of the hull either fore, aft, or

amidships, or upon bottom surfaces, and which enables me to scrape, brush and paint the said surfaces without the'aid of scaffolding and by the employment of only a few workmen rather than a large corps of workmen as is now necessary for expeditiously reconditioning the metal hull of a ship.

In Figure 13 of the drawings, there is shown a diagrammatic view of the electric circuits which control the reversible motor 29 and the sets of electro-magnets 53-53 and 56-54. The set of magnets 53 is arranged in an electric circuit 55, the respective electromagnets 53 being in parallel in the said circuit. The set of electro-magnets 54 is arranged in an electric circuit 56, the respective electro-magnets 56 being in parallel within the said circuit. A manually operable switch 51 electrically controls the opening and closing of the circuits and 55 whereby one or the other of the said circuits may be closed for operation. The switch 57 is connected by a link 58 with the reversible switch 59 of the reversing motor 29. By this arrangement, the motor 29 turns in one direction when one of the sets of electromagnets is energized, and rotates in an opposite direction when the other of the said sets of eleciro-magnets is energized. By the manipulation of the switch 51 the electro-magnets and motor may be selectively controlled for use in the movement of the surfacing machine over the surface being worked upon.

In Figures 15 to 18 inclusive, a modified form of the invention has been shown, wherein the surfacing machine following the principle hereinbefore set forth is designed to move horizontally over a surface to be worked upon instead of in a vertical direction as hereinbefore set forth. The surfacing machine shown in this modified form is designated by the numeral 60 and includes the same combination of elements as shown in the i preceding form with the exception that the parts have been rearranged to facilitate use of the machine in a horizontal direction. It is not believed necessary to repeat the description of the parts and operation which are common in all forms of the invention. For the purpose of suspending and moving the machine laterally, a different form of suspension means is necessary and I employ a rail 6! suspended by brackets 62 from the bulwarks or deck coamings 63 of a ships hull 64. Movable lengthwise of the rail 61 is a trolley 65 which carries a pair of spaced pulleys 66. A cable 61 has one of its ends anchored at 68 to one end of the rail 6| and passes over one of the pulleys 66 and extends downwardly around a driven drum 69 forming part of the surfacing machine 69 and which drum 691s theequivalent to the .drum 46 hereinbefore described. After passing around the pulley 69, the cable 61 passes upward over the other pulley 66 and is carried toward the left end of the rail 6| where it passes around a guide pulley ill and thence around a winding drum H journaled in a bracket 12 which is held clamped to the ship's coaming 63. The shaft 13 on which the winding drum H is mounted, also carries a brake drum M with which a brake band 15 coacts and which brake band is contractible by the actuation of a brake 76. A bevel ring gear TI is fixed to the drum H to turn therewith and has meshing engagement with a smaller gear 18 fixed to a winding shaft 19 which is rotatable by the actuation of a crank handle 80. A pawl 8| engages the teeth of the gear 71 to lock the same against movement and may be swung to a position out of engagement with the teeth of the bevel gear during turning of the crank handle 80 to effect a hoisting and lowering of the machine 60. During a lowering operation, the brake lever 16 is actuated to apply the brake and to facilitate a gradual lowering of the surfacing machine 69 which is suspended in a loop portion formed in the length of the cable 61.

From the description of the modified form shown in Figures 15 to 18, inclusive, it will be seen especially by reference to Figure 15 that the actuation of the winding drum 7!, the machine 69 may be raised or lowered to the desired level and upon actuation of the machine, the same will travel by reason of the driven drum 69 in a horizontal plane and for a distance limited only by the length of the rail 61 and the machine may be reset to work on adjacent levels, as desired. After the surface within the length of the rail 6| and the vertical reach of the tackle has been worked upon, the machine may be held in place by independent tackle and the entire rail and its associated parts moved or shifted along the ships rail 63, since this construction prevents the laying of.

a number of sections of rail as used in the preceding form of the invention. The machine 60 is balanced in a manner similar to the machine It! shown in the preferred form, and is held to its work by reason of the unbalanced arrangement of its weight or by means of magnets, depending upon the position of the surface being worked upon.

In Figure 19 a machine similar to that shown in Figure 11 is associated with a different construction of hoisting and lowering mechanism. In this form, a section of rail 82 is suspended from the ship's bulwarks or deck coamings by brackets 83. A trolley 84 is movable the length of the rail 82 and carries spaced pulley wheels 85 over which sections of a cable 86 pass. ,One end of the cable 86 is connected to the rail 32 at one end and after passing over one of the pulleys 85, the cable passes around a driven drum 88 which is the equivalent to the drum l8 hereinbefore referred to. The cable after passing over the other pulley 85 extends substantially parallel to the rail 82 and passes over a pulley 89 carried by the rail 82 at that end thereof opposite to that at which the cable 86 is secured. The cable depends from the pulley 89 and carries a counterbalance weight 90 which serves to keep the rope tight on the drum 88 of the surfacing machine, and imparting a vertical movement of the machine over the surface being worked upon. If desired, the trolley wheel of the trolley 84 may be held against movement by blocks to prevent lateral movement of the machine when working in a vertical path, and the blocks shifted during each shifting of the machine to work the next adjacent vertical strip area.

In Figure 20 I have illustrated a modified form of electro-magnetic device which may be used in lieu of the electromagnets 53 and 54 and the traction wheels 36. The device includes an electro-magnetic shoe I08 which is fixedly supported by the carriage of the machine. Passing about the working face of the shoe I!) is an endless flexible belt I 0| which may be constructed of canvas or the like. The belt also passes over a pair of alined rollers I02 which rotate simultaneously in the same directionand over an intermediate take up roller I03. One of the rollers may be driven to impart movement to the belt and the inner side of the belt may be coated with a lubricant to reduce friction between it and the parts over which it passes. By this construction, a surfacing machine equipped with four of these electro-magnetic devices may move over a metallic surface to be worked upon with the shoes spaced at all times from direct contact with such work surface, but with magnets in closest practical proximity therewith.

A machine provided with this modified form of electro-magnetic device will eliminate the necessity of traction wheels, for the shoes act as skids or runners for the machine.

Whereas,'I have shown and described electromagnets to provide the magnetic force for holding the machine to a metallic surface to be worked upon, I wish it to be understood that magnets of the permanent type may be used in lieu thereof if desired.

Whereas I have shown and described several modified forms of my invention, it will be understood that still further modifications may be resorted to as come within the scope of the appended claims, and that I do not limit myself to the precise structural details of construction herein set forth.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A surfacing machine for use upon vertical or inclined surfaces comprising in combination, an arm, a traction work head at one end of said arm, a counterbalance weight at the other end of said arm, a horizontally disposed track adapted to be supported above the surface to be worked upon, a trolley carriage movable over said track, a driven rotatable drum mounted on said arm, and block and tackle means operatively connecting said trolley carriage and said driven rotatable druni for suspending, controlling and guiding the machine with the counterbalance weight over balancing said traction work head, to cause the latter to engage a surface to be worked upon.

2. A surfacing apparatus for use upon vertical or inclined surfaces comprising in combination, a machine having an arm, a traction work head at one end of said arm, a counterbalance weight at the other end of said arm, a pulley block supported above the apparatus, a driven rotatable drum mounted on said arm, a cable having one end connected to said arm between its center of gravity and said traction work head, -said cable passing upwardly over the upper pulley block and down and around said drum, the free fall end of said cable adapted to be secured to make the cable taut, and means contained within the machine for rotating said drum for propelling the traction work head over a surface to be worked upon.

3. An apparatus for scraping, brushing, and/or painting ships hulls, comprising in combination, a horizontal rail adapted to be supported from the coaming of a ships hull, a trolley carriage mounted on said rail and movable therealong, a

pair of spaced opposed pulleys mounted in said trolley carriage, a cable having 9. depending suspension loop portion formed therein with its ends passed over the respective pulleys, one end of said cable being fixedly secured to one end of said rail, take up means to which the other end of said cable is connected for tensioning said cable to effect adjustment of the length of said loop portion, a tractive work surfacing machine including a driven rotatable drum about which the lower end of the loop portion of said cable is wound, whereby rotation of said drum will effect propulsion of said trolley carriage along said rail to cause said work surfacing machine to move horizontally in working engagement with a ships hull.

4. A machine for suspension over the side of a ships hull for scraping, brushing, and/or painting the same comprising a work head having freely rotatable traction wheels, rotatable work surfacing devices, a supporting beam extending from said work head, a motor mounted at the outer end of said beam for counterbalancing said work head, drive means operatively connecting said motor with said rotatable work surfacing device, and cable meansconnected to the machine between its center of gravity and said work head to-cause the weight of the outer end of said beam to overbalance said work head to maintain said traction wheels and rotatable work surfacing devices in contacting engagement with the work surface of a ships hull.

5. A machine for suspension over the side of a ships hull for scraping, brushing, and/or painting the same comprising a work head having freely rotatable traction wheels, rotatable work surfacing devices, a supporting beam extending from said work head, a motor mounted at the outer end of said beam for counterbalancing said work head, said motor having a drive shaft extending inwardly therefrom, a bearing rising upwardly from said beam inwardly beyond the center of gravity of the machine, a countershaft journaled in said bearing and disposed at right angle to said drive shaft, a ring gear fixed to said countershaft, a pinion gear fixed to said drive shaft and meshing with said ring gear, a propelling winding drum journaled in said bearing, means rotatably connecting said winding drum with said counter shaft, a guide cable having an intermediate portion thereof coiled about said propelling winding drum, a suspension cable connected to said bearing, and means operable by said counter shaft for imparting rotation to said rotatable work surfacing devices.

JOHN C. TEMPLE. 

